The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Computer systems operate, in part, using volatile memory. Computer memory modules using random access memory (RAM) typically do not retain any data once the main power source is lost (e.g., turned off or experiencing a power failure). In contrast, non-volatile computer memory, such as read only memory (ROM), tends to have long-term storage capacity, but tends to be slower than RAM.
As systems become more complex and mission-critical, the possibility of irreplaceable data being stored in volatile memory increases. For this reason, the majority of mission-critical data can be periodically stored in non-volatile memory. Various options are available for such non-volatile storage units, including but not limited to hard drive devices (HDD), solid state drives (SSD), or solid state storage (SSS) units. Computer systems utilizing such non-volatile memory can transfer data from a host's in-line volatile memory module directly connected to a main processing unit to the non-volatile memory operationally connected to the computer system. For example, the host's central processing unit can fetch data blocks from volatile memory and can send them out to the downstream controllers. Once the target controller receives these data blocks, they can be stored in the non-volatile memory.
All publications identified herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Thus, there is still a need for improved computer memory devices.